Short answer: stop a transformation project when the problem it was meant to solve has moved, the cost of finishing keeps growing without more certainty, nobody can describe success in a sentence, or a cheaper option delivers most of the value. Stop it well by bringing an alternative and letting a short due diligence decide.
Some of the most valuable decisions I’ve made were to stop things.
At a global consumer brand I was the business owner of a US$1M+ digital program. It was in flight, it had a steering committee, it had momentum. It also wasn’t going to deliver what the business needed. I recommended we terminate it and proposed an alternative. After due diligence, the business adopted the alternative, avoiding more than US$1M in capital spend and around US$600K a year in operating cost. (Read the case study.)
Stopping it was the easy part to describe and the hard part to do. Here’s what I’ve learned about when, and how.
Signs a project is worth stopping
The original problem has moved. Programs are often scoped a year or more before they deliver. If the business need has changed, the program should too.
The cost of finishing is still growing. Every project has surprises. But if each update adds cost and time without adding certainty, you’re not converging on an outcome.
Nobody can describe success in a sentence. If the people closest to the work can’t say what “done” looks like and how it’ll be measured, it probably won’t get done.
There’s a cheaper way to get most of the value. This is the most important one. Often a simpler option delivers most of the benefit for a fraction of the cost. It just wasn’t on the table when the original decision was made.
People are defending the decision, not the outcome. When conversations focus on how much has already been spent, or who approved it, sunk cost is doing the talking.
How to stop a project well
Come with an alternative. “Stop” on its own is half a recommendation. A credible alternative turns a difficult conversation into a decision between two options.
Separate the people from the program. Stopping a project is not a judgement on the team who worked on it. Say so, clearly and often.
Let evidence decide. Propose a short, structured due diligence on the alternative. It lowers the stakes of the decision and builds confidence in the new direction. (The people side is often harder than the analysis; I’ve written about navigating the politics of shutting down a project.)
Capture what you learned. Most stopped programs leave behind useful work: requirements, data, process maps. Keep it.
Why an outside view helps
It’s hard to stop something you championed. Executives who approved a program, or whose teams have spent a year on it, are understandably invested. A fractional executive, often a fractional COO or Chief AI & Transformation Officer, comes in with less attachment to past decisions and more freedom to ask the uncomfortable question.
Good leadership isn’t always about starting things. Sometimes the most valuable thing a leader does is say “stop”, and show a better way forward.
If you have a program you’re quietly worried about, I’m happy to take a look. Book a 30-minute call.
